Valley to Shore

09/19/2024

Harvest Boxes continue....

Hey everyone! I hope your summer was full of fun and sun. Mine was very busy with my sons baseball and it still continues. I head back to Arizona with him next week for another showcase along with my youngest son who I am homeschooling. Closing the business was the right choice for my family but I d...

08/25/2024

Valley to Shore.
Established November 2021 - July 2024.

When I started this business as a bright eyed, bushy tailed 36 year old, all my kids were attending public school. I started with one product, the Harvest Box and I couldn’t comprehend expanding; but I did.

Over the next 2.5 years I’d offer dozens of products from many different farmers and small businesses from chili oil to microgreens to bacon and eggs to soil and vegetables and berries plus so much more. Seasonal eating is never static so something was always available. There would be podcast episodes, farm tours, tag alongs on a Tuesday and lots and lots of conversations online and in person.

This business has taught me so much about myself as a person. I’m capable of a lot more than I thought.
This business has taught me to chase dreams.

To say I’m grateful is an understatement. I cannot fully express the depth of my thanks to every one who partnered with me to get their product into the hands of North Shore residents. To be a representative of each small business and farm under the Valley to Shore umbrella was a privilege and an honour.

To all my loyal customers, thank you. Thank you for choosing to support this business while it was around. Thank you to everyone who shared about it at the grocery store, with friends, with family. When I heard that more families were gathering around the kitchen table because they were taking the time to prepare their own meals with food I’d brought them…I mean, my heart expanded to capacity. 🥹

This past year I was feeling the stretch of now being a homeschool mom, of being a mother to a man-child who just has one short year left home, of being a mama to my middle teens figuring out life. I felt the pull of being a homemaker, wanting to have a peaceful sanctuary for my husband to come back to each day and being a cheerful wife to greet him. I found that was not happening as often as I’d like.

Was the stretching a normal part of entrepreneurship? This “typical” tightrope walk of work/life balance?
Or was it something else?

Mid July for my birthday week, I gave it one last push to test if this was something I could keep doing.
Continued in comments.

08/09/2024

When I closed this business 2 weeks ago I received many messages from folks asking if I’d sell Valley to Shore. I honestly hadn’t even thought of it.
My first thought was no. I didn’t want to hassle.
Who would want to buy it anyway?

But then again, this business is worth it for the right person. The foundation is already built. The contacts with farmers, the website with the email list, the branding, the message…maybe I should6be so hasty to just shut it down without considering this option.

Someone reached out wanting to go for coffee.

We talked for 2.5hrs about everything. I figured I’d scared her off with my brutal honesty. But she replied shortly afterwards that she and her husband would like to proceed.

Nothing is currently set in stone and since I’m away from home and away from my husband I’ll wait until I get back to really put some tire to tread on it. But wouldn’t it be amazing if Valley to Shore continued providing access of Fraser Valley goodness to the North Shore?

This individual could take this business to the next level and beyond. Who knows. Now that this is a possibility, I’m hopeful for a positive outcome.

Stay tuned….

07/28/2024

Everything is better with friends. This final week I’m glad I’ll have popping up with me for pick up.

I met Camille in 2018 when we were both Beautycounter consultants, a clean skin care and make up brand. This job educated us on ingredients and the importance of knowing what’s going on your body.

From there she launched which provides refills for your household products, reducing the need to buy new plastic every time your soap runs out. She has some dried food available as well. There’s a plethora of items on her website so go check it out and place your order before Sunday at noon.

Please have your orders for me in by Sunday night so I can communicate with the farmers what I need on Monday for us for Tuesday pick up.

We will meet you for pick up on Tuesday, July 30th at
St. Clements Church in Lynn Valley from 4:30-8pm.

Please also bring your own bags to transfer your order so I can bring all of the black creates back to .
Thank you everyone! I look forward to serving you one last time. 🥹

07/26/2024

So now what?

Since the announcement on Tuesday evening that I’ve decided to close this business, I’ve had so many messages.
“I just found you and was loving the service! I’m so sad!”
“How am I gonna eat now?”
“What are we going to do?”

I think we’re all suffering from a little whiplash since everything went down so quickly. Like I said in today’s newsletter, if you’d been in my head the past 6 months, this wouldn’t be a surprise. But you haven’t been.
And I’m sorry for the shock. 😔

The North Shore still needs to know where our food comes from. We still want to eat seasonally and to eat fresh, farmer direct food.

I don’t have all of the answers right now.

But here are some suggestions:

🌽 go to markets like Riley Park Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am-2pm
🍒 check Facebook marketplace and/or Craigslist for growers in your area selling in bulk
🥦 join Facebook garden groups in your area and call out to see if anyone has excesses to sell or trade or give away
🫐 make the drive to our local farms, rotate with friends
🐓 order farmer direct for pick up, meet up or delivery from farms like; , , and others

This is a shift for all of us. Our local farms still need our business, even if it’s not through Valley to Shore.

Commit to yourself and to them to figure out ways to buy as farmer direct as possible.

In the meantime I’ll be putting on my thinking cap for ways to access and possibly play a different role in providing access to local food for us here.

Do you have ideas? Write them in the comments!

Don’t forget this Tuesday, July 30th will be my last day delivering from the Valley so get your orders in!
Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my decision. I’m so humbled and grateful. 💕

07/25/2024

Important Announcement

Dear Valued Customers & Friends, It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the closing of Valley to Shore. If you've been inside my head for the past 6 months, this wouldn't come as such a surprise, but of course, you haven't. This past year I have battled to find balance with the business and m...

07/14/2024

Birthday Week Sale!

07/11/2024

Hey! Did you see my last post about this week’s SALE pricing for Harvest Boxes and Taster Boxes?

It’s my birthday week so I’ve discounted those items in the website down to $67.50 for a Harvest Box where you’ll get about a dozen different produce items from with recipes emailed to your inbox the following day. Or the Taster Box is on sale for $55 which includes 4-6 produce items, a loaf of sourdough, a dozen free range eggs and a pork farmers sausage.

Plus all the other glorious seasonal goodness like pints of raspberries and 5 & 10lb blueberries flats! Locally roasted coffee, chili oil, honey, bacon and rainbow etc are also available.

Head over to www.valleytoshore.com to place your order for Tuesday July 16th delivery to Lynn Valley in North Vancouver.

I’ll be stopping at Cabelas in Abbotsford for around 1:15pm and Colossus theatre in Langley for just after 2pm if you’d like to meet me on my way back. Just leave me a note at checkout!

See you soon!

07/10/2024

It’s my birthday coming up on July 13th!
It’s my last year in my 30’s. Gulp. 😳

Aging is an interesting journey. I’m grateful to be on it. Not everyone gets to have another birthday and I’m thankful for every turn around the sun I get to see.

To celebrate I’ve got special pricing for the Harvest Box and the Taster Box this next week for July 16th delivery.

Harvest Box - $75 on sale for $67.50
Taster Box - $60 on sale for $55

Eating fresh from the farm at has changed my life in all good ways. I hope I’ll see you at pick up on Tuesday!

Head over to www.valleytoshore.com to place your order!

07/07/2024

Popping Up with Bare Refillery!

This week I'm popping up alongside Bare Refillery with Camille!! Bare Refillery was built out of a desire to make safe products accessible to all. Camille began her refill business in 2020 as she was passionate about educating others about reducing our toxic load and our plastic waste consumption. S...

07/07/2024

Taster Box vs Harvest Box. What’s the difference?

A Taster Box is great for singles or couples.
It includes 4-6 produce items from , a pork farmers sausage from , a dozen eggs from .butterbox and a loaf of sourdough from . A little taste of everything. No bread and no meat are options too if you’re not eating those things, I’ll just swap out for more of anything item.

A Harvest Box is all produce provided by . Ideal for families or committed home cooks.
You’ll receive some seasonal fruit, herbs and a plethora of vegetables. Most, if not all items are grown and harvested right at , Canada’s largest regenerative market garden farm. You also get an email from me a day after pick up with a list of ingredients and recipes to get your cooking up a storm!

You can place your order at www.valleytoshore.com. Grab a Taste, go for Harvest or you can go all in and subscribe for the Harvest Boxes to receive weekly boxes automatically ordered for you.

Eat seasonally, keep your food footprint small and know where it comes from. Win win win.

07/04/2024

This week I’ll have another delivery of incredible haskap (aka honey berries) from .meadow.farm !

These little berries are popping with flavour and are high in antioxidants and vitamins A,C and D. They’re taste is like a mix of blue very and grape.
Delicious fresh or frozen. Either way, these beauties won’t be around long. This may be the last delivery until 2025!

I ordered 10 flats for July 9th so get your orders in and take advantage of this seasonal treat!

Head over to www.valleytoshore.com to snag a pint or 2 or 6!